Maputo, 21 May (AIM) – Some of those involved in last Sunday’s abortive coup d’etat in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) have interests in Mozambique, notably in a mining enterprise called Bantu Mining Company, registered in Mozambique and with its head office in the southern city of Matola.
One of them is an exiled Congolese, Christian Malanga, who is the founder and chairperson of the “United Congolese Party”. He and two American associates, Cole Ducey and Benjamin Polun, each originally owned a third of the shares in Bantu Mining, according to the Mozambican documents setting up the company in July 2022, and published in the official gazette, the “Boletim da Republica”.
Both of the Americans were living in the Alto-Mae neighbourhood of Maputo city.
Four months later, the shareholding structure changed. Cole Ducey acquired 99.72 per cent of the company, while his two partners kept 0.14 per cent each.
The same three men also registered Global Solutions Mozambique, a company in which Malanga was the majority shareholder, with a 55 per cent controlling interest. The remaining 45 per cent was held by Polun.
This company was registered in Chimoio, capital of the central province of Manica. It claimed activities in mining, building, security, education and health.
Zeferino Caito, head of public relations in the Manica provincial notary’s office, confirmed to the independent daily “O Pais” that this company does indeed exist.
In April 2022, Malanga, Polun and Ducey opened a third Mozambican company, CCB Mining Solutions in which each held a third of the shares.
These companies may be registered as legal entities, but there is no sign that they have undertaken any activities.
Malanga, supposedly the leader of the failed coup, was born in the DRC (then known as Zaire) in 1983. He grew up in Kinshada, but later moved to South Africa and Swaziland, before settling in the United States.
According to reports carried by the Reuters news agency, Malanga was killed in a shoot-out in Kinshasa on Sunday. About 50 people were taken prisoner, including three Americans.
Malanga has claimed friendly relations with Gen Alberto Chipande, a former Mozambican defence minister, who is credited with firing the first shots in the liberation struggle in September 1964. Chipande remains a member of the Political Commission of the ruling Frelimo Party.
In a post on Facebook, Malanga said he was honoured to be received by Chipande at his home during a visit where he hoped to receive advice on security matters. Photos and videos of this visit, in which Chipande can clearly be recognized, have circulated on social media.
In this post, dated 10 September 2023, according to the independent newssheet “Carta de Mocambique”, Malanga wrote “it was an honour to hold discussions with the revolutionary and founder of Mozambique, Gen Alberto Joaquim Chipande. The situations which Cabo Delgado and the eastern Congo face are very similar. I thank the Mozambican leadership for advising ‘’New Zaire’’ on reforming security”. New Zaire is apparently the name the plotters are proposing for the DRC.
So far neither the Mozambican government, nor Chipande, have reacted.
(AIM)
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